george raft

We decided to finally spring ourselves out of hiatus jail and make a semi-triumphant return with Each Dawn I Die, an underrated 1939 gem from the hallowed Warner Brothers gangster film canon! But first...this week's full-fledged gruel of a Blue Plate Special involves discussions of a host of new releases, including The Batman, Ambulance, The Northman, and Memoria, as well as belated thoughts on the Will Smith-Chris Rock fiasco and the ongoing disaster that is the Jonathan Debt (Johnny Depp to some) and Amber Heard defamation trial. Finally, we bust out of this joint with a celebration of the classic Hollywood gangster film tradition, delight in all things Jimmy Cagney, and in general just have a blast getting back into the swing of things. Feel free to skip to 2:33:09 for the beginning of our audio commentary. As always, please like, subscribe, rate, and review us on all of our channels, which include Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube! Contact us at huffmanbrothersproductions@gmail.com with your questions, comments, and requests.

Anchors aweigh on 2021 as we deliver our very last episode of the year with Otto Preminger's colossal 1968 "comedic" misfire Skidoo! But before we steer directly into the iceberg, this week's Blue Plate Special has us parsing the Matrix sequels (Reloaded, Revolutions, and the latest Resurrections) for meaning and edification, followed by an outright celebration of Paul Thomas Anderson's latest film Licorice Pizza. Upon finally arriving to the Mad Magazine-esque pastiche that is Skidoo, we critique the ways in which television began altering the stylings and aesthetics of film comedy in the 1960s and beyond, question the decision making of dramatic filmmaker like Preminger endeavoring to direct a comedy as scattershot and misguided as this, and in general mourn the presence of stars (in this case from the 1930s) rapidly approaching their expiration dates. Feel free to skip to 2:43:21 for the beginning of our audio commentary. As always, please like, subscribe, rate, and review us on all of our channels, which include Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube! Contact us at huffmanbrothersproductions@gmail.com with your questions, comments, and requests. https://thebigwblog.wordpress.com/2021/12/24/hm-upgrades-the-matrix-resurrections-as-a-reflection-of-the-perils-of-the-legasequel/?fbclid=IwAR370jACqmDJ_-av6T2bU_UmKzXAaIHKufbGy6xfVuTKCbX2Jjv7dbEQOo4 https://thebigwblog.wordpress.com/2021/12/27/the-world-doesnt-revolve-around-gary-valentine-licorice-pizza-and-the-perfection-of-the-shaggy-dog-story/

Running on Empty (1988) comes to Blu-ray featuring River Phoenix who rose to stardom (and a nomination) in this poignant drama from director Sidney Lumet. Next we chat about the new DVD release of the Jamie Foxx Show Season Three (1998-99) featuring more of the acclaimed actor's earlier sitcom material showing off some of his amazing skills. We next present four DVDs finally released in their original widescreen aspect ratios including The Betsy (1978) with Sir Laurence Olivier and Robert Duvall, Sidney Lumet's Power (1986) starring Richard Gere, John Frankenheimer 's Dead Bang (1989) starring Don Johnson, and Alaska (1996) with Charlton Heston. Finally we cover two classics back on DVD which include Brother Orchid (1940) starring Edward G. Robinson and Humphrey Bogart, and They Drive by Night (1940) starring George Raft and Humphrey Bogart.

Caution: Dangerous Curves Ahead with Maverick Season 5 (1961-62), Wildcat Bus (1940) starring Fay Wray, Race Street (1948) with George Raft, Sky Full of Moon (1952) and Mickey Rooney with a Slight Case of Larceny (1953). We also chat about 4 more films back in print on DVD including Broadway Bill (1934), Detective Story (1951), Islands in the Stream (1977) and Falling in Love (1984).